CHESTNUT BARK DISEASE. 419 



Artificial cultures, however, show that it is this species. This 

 means, apparently, that the species does not form its asco-stage 

 readily in the North. It has not been reported as yet from 

 Europe or elsewhere. While it seems to be largely saprophytic, 

 we recently received from Wolf, of Auburn, Ala., an elegant 

 specimen on the live trunk of water oak, that shows it possesses 

 parasitic tendencies. Plate XXIV e. 



So far this fungus has been reported on several species 

 of Quercus and on Liquidambar Styraciflua. Earle and Under- 

 wood collected what may be this species on Vitis. Schweinitz 

 described his Sphaeria radicalis as rare on roots of Fagus, though 

 on the envelope containing the original specimen he states it 

 is on the roots of Quercus, which seems more likely. However, 

 we have recently received ample specimens collected by Hall, 

 at Clemson College, S. C, on the roots and bark of Fagus, 

 which proves that this is to-day a host of the fungus further 

 south, and so it may have been at Salem, N. C., as stated by 

 Schweinitz. 



In cultures it forms a rather abundant aerial mycelium, 

 something like Endothia gyrosa, but differs in that this is 

 much more fluffy in character, and does not usually form fruit- 

 ing pustules on the surface of the agar, Plate XXVI 7596. 

 The conidial spores are produced in rather indefinite spots on 

 the mycelium, and are very similar in appearance to those of 

 the other two species, Plate XXVIII g-i. The mycelium lacks 

 the bright orange color that is characteristic of Endothia gyrosa 

 on most media. At first it is white, and often remains partly 

 uncolored, but finally has considerable brownish orange color, 

 especially next the glass on the surface of the agar. In Petrie 

 dishes the mycelium often forms a somewhat annulated develop- 

 ment by the newer growth being less elevated than the older. 

 We have cultures of it from Liquidambar Stryraciflua and 

 Quercus nigra, from Alabama; Fagus ferruginea, Quercus 

 coccinea, and Quercus sp., from South Carolina ; Quercus falcata, 

 from North Carolina; and Quercus rubra, from Connecticut. 



There is considerable doubt as to who first described this 

 species, since it has usually been confused with the next. Shear 

 (64) speaks of it as Endothia radicalis (Schw.), thus identifying 

 it with Sphaeria radicalis of Schweinitz; and the Andersons 

 seem to think that Shear definitely proved it to be identical 



